Saturday Morning
by Roxy Earhardt-Myers
Summary: Sequel to Suddenly Something: A few years are their lives changed so drastically, Eric and Taylor wake up to a lazy Saturday.


**Saturday Morning**

Eric woke with pain in his back. Something was poking him and it felt suspiciously like a foot. He carefully rolled over and smiled. Sometime during the night Karl had crawled between him and Taylor and now Taylor was cuddling their boy close to her chest while Eric had gotten his feet pushing him out of the bed in that awkward sprawl only children found comfortable to sleep in.

Also, somewhere during the night Taylor must have gotten up, he noted. Because she was now wearing one of his shirts.

Reluctantly he rolled out of bed and made his way to the bathroom. When he returned, he pulled a clean pair of boxers from the closet and slipped them on before returning to bed. Though he was getting somewhat hungry, the lure of staying in bed with his family was too great. Eric had to move his son's legs carefully. The boy had instantly noticed the open space next to him, even while asleep, and moved to fill it.

The Quantum ranger moved as close as he could and reached out an arm so his hand rested on Taylor's hip and his fingers curled to the small of her back. She sighed in her sleep, but otherwise didn't respond.

Eric's eyes moved to study the face of the boy laying sandwiched between them. Karl was almost an exact copy of him, but if you looked closer, you'd notice his features were slightly softer. And he definitely had Taylor's nose.

Eric studied his son's sleeping face looking for the other subtle hints of Taylor. In quiet moments like this he indulged himself. Heaven forbid their friends would ever find out him and Taylor were less than reluctant to have Karl in their lives. But when no one was watching, Eric allowed the feeling of how right this felt to wash over him.

'Will you stop that? I was having a nice dream,' a sleepy voice mumbled.

The Quantum ranger looked from his son to the woman lying next to him. Blue eyes looked back at him, still somewhat sleep clouded. 'Morning,' he replied, not stopping the unconscious movements of his fingers.

'When did he join us?' Taylor asked.

Eric offered a half shrug. 'He didn't wake me up. Guess he missed you this past week too.'

The blonde smiled and dropped a kiss on her son's hair. 'Maybe I missed my boys a little too,' she admitted. 'But the trip was fruitful.'

Eric shifted closer and kissed her. Karl stirred between them and Eric cringed away when Karl's foot hit a sore spot while the boy stretched. Taylor bit back a laugh at his face and Eric shot her a half-hearted glare.

'Morning,' Eric muttered, placing a kiss on Karl's hair.

'Breakfast?' Karl asked hopefully.

'You two stay here, I'll make something and we can have breakfast in bed,' Taylor offered.

She untangled herself and slipped out of bed. Karl immediately nuzzled up to Eric instead. Eric smiled and stroked his hair. 'Want to watch cartoons while we wait?' he suggested.

Karl nodded enthusiastically. Eric sat up and Karl moved to sit next to him. With a smile, Eric reached for the remote and turned on the TV. He quickly turned on Netflix before Karl could get too into the Saturday morning cartoons on regular TV. If he was watching cartoons with his son, they'd better be watching something he could tolerate.

The new Power Rangers cartoon was easily found. It was ridiculous, really. Some computer virus had taken over the world, except for one city. The Zords looked more like toddler toys with the big eyes on them than anything the Time Force and Wild Force teams had used. And they definitely could not hold a light to his own Q-Rex. Wes had tried to tell him that Karl was still too young for this kind of cartoons. Eric had happily ignored him.

No matter how ridiculous, Eric could tolerate this Power Rangers RPM cartoon better than things like Paw Patrol or Dora the Explorer. Plus, he and Taylor thought it was funny their son enjoyed Power Ranger cartoons.

The episode had almost ended when Taylor came upstairs with a tray carrying a stack of pancakes, coffee and juice for Karl. She settled next to them and they ate breakfast as the next episode started.

'Alyssa and Jen said we shouldn't let him watch this,' Taylor commented.

'So did Wes,' Eric shrugged. 'Good thing he's not their kid. This is mind-numbing enough as it is. If Wes wants to watch Dora with his kids, that's fine. But I've grown kinda attached to my brain functioning.'

Karl looked up and Eric ruffled his hair. 'Yeah, we're talking about you. Eat your food before it gets cold.'

Karl held out his fork with a piece of pancake to Eric. 'You too, daddy.'

Taylor watched with a smile as Eric took the offered bite. Karl turned back to the cartoon and Eric caught Taylor watching them.

'Who would've thought you'd make a good dad?' she teased.

'What can I say? He's grown on me.'

'On me too,' Taylor smiled.


End file.
